I scavenge through the internet, looking for a place in my area where people will gather today to pray. Systems failing, walls crumbling, morality shifting all around…
So, why won’t God’s people pray?
I find big programs, fancy churches. Still, Christians everywhere seem silent. Many believers not even mentioning they are Jesus followers.
Could it be they are fearful to offend? Don’t want to sound radical? Hesitate losing their business’ and reputations for the name of The One who gave His very life for them?
Still, why won’t God’s people pray?
There are churches every few miles, buildings resurrected drawing others with a cross, on the outside. But where are its people. And why aren’t we hearing about the great things the assembly is doing, for God…and others…
Could it be because God’s people won’t pray?
And isn’t it like people’s faith is in a vacuum, like true revival is shouting trying to get out? Like believers are not wanting their God to mingle with the world they are so fond of and comfortable in?
Is that why people won’t pray?
Yes, I remember the gatherings. The walking into revival and seeing people flooding the auditorium, hallways, and Sunday School classes. On their knees in confession, trembling. I remember children evangelizing, adults being delivered in an instant. Chains of addiction, broken just through praise. Worship flooding the building daily, people going into the streets.
But does that even happen anymore?
And if not, I wonder, is it because God’s people won’t pray?
Today is the National Day of Prayer. And while I dreamed nearly seven years ago of civil unrest, divisions, and a second Christian holocaust…so many wrestle, stay silent about our nation. Remain mute about the future of Christian’s belief systems, here in America…
Is it because we have grown fearful, complacent? Is our apathy simply a consequence of…
God’s people not praying?
She comes home from school. Never hears of God, never sticks her hand on her chest and sings the National Anthem, like we used to daily do. Prayer has been taken out of schools, out of gatherings, and assemblies. It has even been taken out of some churches…
And it grieves me that God’s people won’t pray.
We put on our lip-liner, get in our fancy cars, leave our houses costing so much they could care for a whole village of hungry people.
Still, is the problem that we want our agendas, our wants, our comfortable plans….more than we want God?
Do we fear our man-made Babylons might be dented with inconveniences? So, we become stubborn and insubordinate if asked to do things that might make us look “less than”….in a world of materialism and appearances?
Are are blinded, thinking we are rich when we are poor? Are we too preoccupied with competing with the Jones’?
Is our lukewarm existence just a result from…God’s people not praying?
While we put God in saran wrap, while we tie Him in a bow and put our religion in the farthest shelf away from our needs-list, and while we justify in our heads the importance of acting, “cool”, trendy, or relevant…
I wonder if God’s telling us, “If you don’t acknowledge me in front of others, when you meet the Father, I won’t acknowledge you.”
Still, I wonder if people’s shame of Jesus is because, God’s people don’t pray?
There will be a day, I have seen it, where we stand in the glory of the only one who can free us. When His light radiates through us, and all sorrow and sense of self will dissipate and pass.
All we will have left is the fragments of light that we have chosen to reflect from Him.
And is it then, He will ask, “Do I know you?” Judging between the sheep and the goats, throwing into fire anyone who has purposely refused to, be in relationship with Him?
It is then, I am thinking, the question won’t be,“How much did you have”, or “How well were you liked.” It won’t be, “How many good works did you do?”, or “How much did you enjoy life?”
I can almost see Him turning His head, love radiating from His eyes, glory from His chest, light drenching us until we feel small, Him clarifying to us all…“All I wanted was to live in relationship with you”…
Will we stop today, bow our heads. If we dare even to claim being God’s children…
Will we take the time to pray?
